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North Kent County Exposure Assessment: Results

North Kent County Exposure Assessment Participant Demographics and Serum PFAS Summary

This is a high-level overview of results from the first report of the North Kent County Exposure Assessment (NKCEA). In the report, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) compared the PFAS blood levels of NKCEA study participants with the PFAS blood levels of people whose data is included in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). NHANES is a program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It provides estimated levels of some environmental chemicals in the general U.S. population.

NKCEA participant PFAS serum levels varied by type of PFAS, and ranged from low levels (similar to levels found in many people of the U.S.) to high levels that exceeded what is commonly found in most people in the U.S.

Read the Summary

Participant Demographics and Serum PFAS Summary Report: Report 1 of the North Kent County Exposure Assessment

This report offers an in-depth look at the participant demographics and levels of 30 PFAS found in the blood of people 12 and older who took part in the North Kent County Exposure Assessment (NKCEA). Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) compared the PFAS blood levels of NKCEA study participants with the PFAS blood levels of people whose data is included in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Read the Report

Watch the Report 1 public presentation. In this presentation, toxicologist Joost van't Erve, Ph.D. and epidemiologist Rachel Long, MSPH, describe the history of the assessment, Objectives 1 and 2.

Drinking Water PFAS Concentrations and Exposure Factors Influencing Measured and Predicted Serum PFAS Concentrations: Report 2 of the North Kent County Exposure Assessment

 

This second report for the North Kent County Exposure Assessment (NKCEA) discusses several important findings. For most NKCEA participants, residential drinking water wells were a major source of PFAS. However, some participants had low levels of PFAS in their drinking water but still had PFAS in their blood, indicating that these participants had been exposed from one or more source(s) other than drinking water. Significant predictors for increased PFAS levels in study participants were:

  • Estimated daily intake of PFAS from drinking water.
  • Increasing age.
  • Male sex.
  • Eating any wild-caught fish.

Read the Report

MDHHS North Kent County Exposure Assessment (NKCEA) Background and Purpose Video

MDHHS North Kent County Exposure Assessment (NKCEA) Background and Purpose

Epidemiologist Rachel Long, MSPH, describes the background and purpose of NKCEA. She recaps the first report, the first two assessment objectives, and how the second report adds to those findings.

MDHHS North Kent County Exposure Assessment (NKCEA) Objective 3 Video

MDHHS North Kent County Exposure Assessment (NKCEA) Objective 3

Toxicologist Joost van’t Erve, Ph.D., discusses the connection between drinking water PFAS concentrations and serum (blood) concentrations in NKCEA participants.
MDHHS North Kent County Exposure Assessment (NKCEA) Objective 4 Video

MDHHS North Kent County Exposure Assessment (NKCEA) Objective 4

Epidemiologist Rachel Long, MSPH, describes the factors that can affect the how much PFAS is in the blood of NKCEA participants.
What's Next for the North Kent County Exposure Assessment Video

What's Next for the North Kent County Exposure Assessment

Now that the North Kent County Exposure Assessment (NKCEA) second report is released, toxicologist Joost van’t Erve, Ph.D., describes the next steps for NKCEA analysis, as well as additional MDHHS projects that build upon the knowledge gained in the NKCEA to reduce PFAS exposure in Michigan residents.

If you have questions about the North Kent County Exposure Assessment, call MDHHS Environmental Health at 844-464-7327.


NKCEA Home Page

NKCEA: Frequently Asked Questions

NKCEA: What's Next

NKCEA: Public Presentations, Press Releases, and Other Resources